41% of UB residents were not vaccinated
Ulaanbaatar Mayor D.Sumiyabazar got acquainted with the immunization process on May 1. As of Saturday, 41 percent of Ulaanbaatar residents have not been vaccinated and vaccination coverage has been poor in recent days.
The Ulaanbaatar mayor highlighted, “If citizens are vaccinated, it will protect their health, revive the country’s economy and open borders in a short time. So, they have to be vaccinated for Mongolia and Ulaanbaatar to be without COVID-19.”
“It is a citizen’s choice whether to get vaccinated or not. However, the public needs to be properly informed about vaccines. The international race for vaccination continues. Mongolia has the highest proportion of vaccinations in Asia. The pandemic and economy are inversely related. To solve this problem, citizens need to be vaccinated, protect their health, and recover the economy in a short period of time. This way, the society and economy will return to normal and the borders will be opened. Once 1.1 million Ulaanbaatar residents are fully vaccinated, significant steps will be taken in the city’s economy. I urge you to be active in getting vaccinated, to protect yourself and your children from infection, and to fulfill your civic duty.”
Head Public Health Department B.Byambadorj said that response teams visited to infected people, established close contacts, conducted medical examinations, and transferred those who require hospitalization.
More than 8,000 people in the capital are being monitored at home. Six test stations are operating on weekdays and three on weekends.
Immunization in Ulaanbaatar started on February 23. The first dose administration in the capital is set to wrap up by May 8, and the second dose is planned to be completed by May 29. A total of 120 immunization stations are set to vaccinate more than 75,000 people a day, and more than 2,000 doctors and staff are working in immunization efforts. Due to the lockdown, the movement of people has been limited and the number of people infected in the last 10 days has been stable in the capital city, reported health officials.
VACCINE SHIPMENT DEPARTS TO PROVINCES
Trucks carrying vaccines to start immunization against the coronavirus infection in 11 provinces departed from the National Center for Communicable Disease on May 2. The prime minister and minister of health saw off the vaccine delivery trucks from the center.
Some 93,000 doses of vaccine were transported to 11 provinces under police protection. There are 808,284 people aged 18 to 50 and 305,950 people over the age of 50 living in provinces. Vaccination of people over the age of 50 started on May 1.
Vaccine delivery:
7,200 doses in Arkhangai
4,000 doses in Govisumber
18,200 doses in Umnugovi
10,000 doses in Orkhon
13,100 doses in Tuv
14,441 doses in Bulgan
8,000 doses in Sukhbaatar
7,200 doses in Khentii
12,800 tons in Gobi-Altai
4,400 tons in Dundgovi
22,000 doses in Uvurkhangai
Prime Minister L.Oyun-Erdene said, “The priority of the government of Mongolia is to vaccinate its citizens, and we are exploring possible options and intensifying vaccination. Currently, 43 percent of the target group have been vaccinated. Vaccination can be started in provinces today. We urge provincial residents to be actively involved in vaccination. We plan to administer the first dose of the vaccine in provinces by June 1. If this is done, the second dose will be available by July 1.”
On May 1, 82,683 people were vaccinated nationwide. To date 43 percent of adults have been vaccinated, and 20 percent received the second dose.
20,000 DOSES OF SPUTNIK V ARRIVE
Minister of Foreign Affairs B.Battsetseg announced that Mongolia received 20,000 doses of Sputnik V vaccine on May 1.
“The relevant government agencies are continuing to work actively to increase vaccine import. We are currently receiving the first 20,000 doses of Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine. Some private companies have also imported 20,000 doses.”
The plane carrying the Russian vaccine landed at Chinggis Khaan International Airport on May 1. The government of Mongolia has signed an agreement with Russia to purchase 1 million doses of the Sputnik V vaccine against coronavirus.